Camera for a 5-yr-old

pbromaghin · Jun 14, 2018

After having successfully infected my son-in-law (inactive Photrion laostyle17) with the film photography bug, I want to try the same with my grand-daughter, Hurricane Alyssa. She is familiar with cameras - she even built one out of legos - but doesn't quite understand why you can't see the picture on the back of the camera after you take it.

She'll be visiting us for a week (oh, and she's bringing her mom along) in July and this setup will be waiting for her: Minolta x-700 with 28mm lens loaded with Portra 400. I'll be carrying a near-identical x-570. I figure with the camera in "P" mode for full-auto exposure and a short lens it is the next best thing to a point-n-shoot, and the iso 400 will allow for fast shutter speeds, good depth of field and for shooting indoors. When she finishes her first roll it's going right to the 1-hr lab.

I considered a zoom lens, but decided that would be too much work for her first time. Also loading B&W and home processing, but rejected those for pretty much the same reasons. I want this to be easy and give the most immediate results it can. She is a modern kid after all. I haven't decided whether to send it home with her or if it should be something she does with Grampa.

How does this sound? Does anybody have any other suggestions?

Kino · Jun 14, 2018

Well, you could get a disposable camera; can't get much simpler than that...

Billy Axeman · Jun 14, 2018

Disposables are bad. Nowadays we are living in a world where using plastic packaging and disposables are increasingly considered a crime against future generations.

Give this 5-year old a light fixed-focus camera without any controls. A Minolta x-700 is much too heavy and complicated.

And please constraint yourself imposing your hobby on other persons.

faberryman · Jun 14, 2018

Instax camera and film. The 1 Hour Photo kiosk is just not fast enough for a 5 year old's attention span, not to mention keeping her on task to take 36 photos before you drive over there.

Billy Axeman · Jun 14, 2018

That is a good idea faberryman, because you can see an immediate result. I recently tried out a Fuji Square SQ6, but I wouldn't recommend it because it has too many control buttons. I guess a Mini 9 in a suitable color would do.

Kino · Jun 14, 2018

Billy Axeman said:
Disposables are bad. Nowadays we are living in a world where using plastic packaging and disposables are increasingly considered a crime against future generations.

Give this 5-year old a light fixed-focus camera without any controls. A Minolta x-700 is much too heavy and complicated.

And please constraint yourself imposing your hobby on other persons.

Many disposables are reused.

https://petapixel.com/2015/08/04/this-is-how-fujifilm-recycled-disposable-cameras-in-1998/

Please constrain yourself from making sweeping generalizations...

Billy Axeman · Jun 14, 2018

Kino said:
Many disposables are reused.

https://petapixel.com/2015/08/04/this-is-how-fujifilm-recycled-disposable-cameras-in-1998/

Please constrain yourself from making sweeping generalizations...

Amazing isn't it, but that is how they did it in 1998 when they were sold million-wise. Nowadays disposable camera's are incinerated and in the near future they are banned like drinking straws, plastic shopping bags and coffee cups.

Kino · Jun 14, 2018

Billy Axeman said:
Amazing isn't it, but that is how they did it in 1998 when they were sold million-wise. Nowadays disposable camera's are incinerated and in the near future they are banned like drinking straws, plastic shopping bags and coffee cups.

Of course, no one could ever reload a disposable camera by themselves and give it back to the child.... oh wait...

https://www.lomography.com/magazine/248878-the-complete-guide-to-reloading-disposable-cameras
https://www.flickr.com/groups/disposable/discuss/72157594513963955/
https://lifehacker.com/125330/how-to-re-use-a-disposable-kodak-camera

Billy Axeman · Jun 14, 2018

Kino said:
Of course, no one could ever reload a disposable camera by themselves and give it back to the child.... oh wait...

https://www.lomography.com/magazine/248878-the-complete-guide-to-reloading-disposable-cameras
https://www.flickr.com/groups/disposable/discuss/72157594513963955/
https://lifehacker.com/125330/how-to-re-use-a-disposable-kodak-camera

Thanks Kino, I have still two camera's in stock and I'll try to reload them for fun (with XP2). So, make your grand-daughter happy with a disposable camera if you want, when they are still available (not for long).

mgb74 · Jun 14, 2018

I second the instax idea. If not that, then b/w film you can develop right away. At 5, waiting is a buzzkill. In fact, you can actually discourage her interest if you not careful.

And the X-700 might get a bit heavy for her. Though it has the advantage of being "like Grandpa's camera".

I tried a pinhole camera with my 7yo granddaughter. It did not hold a lot of interest.

macfred · Jun 14, 2018

In 2009 when my daughter was 6 years old, she's got an Instax mini 25 - all my other cameras were much to heavy / bulky for her tiny hands.
She loved the Instax very much - for her it was a great 'getting in' to photography. .Today she prefers my Polaroid Land camera 250 Automatic..

MattKing · Jun 14, 2018

I'm waiting for Sirius to recommend a Hasselblad .
This one would be good: http://beacon225.blogspot.com/2012/04/vivitar-big-view-bv35.html

Billy Axeman · Jun 14, 2018

No workflow type was selected for this thread, so digital solutions are allowed I guess.

Another option could be a point-and-shoot digital camera and then print the photos on a Canon Selphy CP printer (10x15 cm). This is almost like the Instax idea but you get photo's on a much bigger format.

fjpod · Jun 14, 2018

I just got my 8 yo grandson an Instax wide. He loves it. Don't blame me, but he is REALLY into film photography. I had given him a little old point and shoot digital to play with, which he dropped in a flash when he discovered my old film cameras in the attic. Ever since he has made me teach him more about aperatures, shutter speeds, film speeds, etc. And he made me set up all my darkroom equipment again.

AgX · Jun 14, 2018

pbromaghin said:
How does this sound? Does anybody have any other suggestions?

In case you have an appropriate camera you could take some paper negatives with her. That would give some inside into the positive/negative thing and why things take time.

Jim Jones · Jun 14, 2018

I'm with Billy Axeman. Start her out on d*****l photography. If that sticks, let her advance to film, wet plates, and Daguerreotypes. Who knows where that might lead? When Edwin Land's three-year-old daughter asked why she couldn't see the photographs now, her papa thought, "Why not?" The result was the Polaroid system.

Ces1um · Jun 14, 2018

instax seems to be the obvious choice.

TheGreatGasMaskMan · Jun 14, 2018

110???
Or, you could just find a used 35mm point and shoot at a thrift store for a few dollars...

winger · Jun 14, 2018

I would suggest (in this order) Instax mini, P&S digital, cheap and simple 35mm. FWIW, I have a couple of $5 bright yellow 35mm cameras that came with magazine subscriptions or something - focus-free, no exposure controls. My now 8-year-old has gotten some decent shots with one.

No way would I trust him to carry and shoot a full 35mm like the x-700. He's far too active for that. If your granddaughter is really "Hurricane Alyssa", I'd hold off for a few years on the Minolta.

Ko.Fe. · Jun 14, 2018

Instax.

darinwc · Jun 15, 2018

Another vote for the instax.

If you want a 35mm suggestion, I would say the Canon sure shot a1 or wp1.
Under water camera with auto aucus, auto advance. Bright colors. Easy to use large buttons. Rugged can use at the beach or whatever.

Ian Leake · Jun 15, 2018

I gave my daughter an instax when she was 5. A year later, and she still loves it. The instant print is the right size for her hand, and we’re getting some fabulous keepers

RattyMouse · Jun 15, 2018

What about a Speed Graphic?

pbromaghin · Jun 15, 2018

The Instax never entered my mind until this thread and didn't realize the mini was so cheap. And you are all right - she would love it. I see it on sale at my neighborhood Target for $60 and 20 exposures for $15.

You're giving me a new brainstorm - she will be here during Gramma's birthday and Gramma mentioned interest in an Instax of her own back around Christmas time. I originally conceived of this as something Alyssa and I could do, and was real excited when I found this X-700 body for real cheap. But maybe I can instead get 2 instax cameras and it can be a thing for them to do together.

pbromaghin · Jun 15, 2018

RattyMouse said:
What about a Speed Graphic?

Nah, she can just use my Cambo.

Camera for a 5-yr-old

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